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Welcome to Phoenix West

A new wave is coming to Dortmund...

World of Walas is proud to announce the redevelopment of the historic Phoenix West area.

What is Phoenix West?

The Phoenix West project in the historic city of Dortmund, Germany is urban development in the broadest sense.
For over 160 years, the industrial complex of Phoenix West in Hörde has been an icon for both the city of Dortmund and the German steel industry.

The local economy was based on coal and steel. Profound fluctuations in these industries affected the local economy for decades. Steel production in Dortmund ended with the closure of the Phoenix West factory in 1998 and Phoenix East in 2001. Most of the machinery and buildings were dismantled and sold off.

Phoenix West remains as a standing monument to the history of the area, and will be an important part of the future as the area transitions to a new economy. The vision is a more modern local, mixed use economy that respects and maintains the history and DNA of this incredible community.

Walas will work in close collaboration with the city of Dortmund on the development of these historic buildings and the Phoenix West area. Work will begin with a new, circular Innovation Centre in the open space in front of the blast furnace. The revitalization of the historic Schalthaus will follow. A revolutionary new building, The Fourth Wave, will pass through the blast furnace.

This development will be a future home to new ideas in technology, services, farming and entrepreneurship. Phoenix West will be a place where people want to live, work and play. This is the first step towards the fourth industrial revolution.

About Walas

World of Walas is a growing portfolio of companies focused on building sustainable communities through innovations, projects and policy development. It was founded by Gerben van Straaten to offer a fundamentally different approach to development. Gerben has over 25 years of experience working with cities, academia, governments and businesses on large complex developments. The business models are environmentally, socially and financially sustainable and have proven their success in communities where no one has succeeded without significant government support. With new ideas for old buildings and sound business practices, World of Walas creates places where people want to live, work, produce and participate.